Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1887-12-15
THE JAPANESE CAPITAL.
An American In Toxic Would Think Him.
self In European City.

| An American In TOXIC W0uld THINK hins
solfin European City.
Your readers arc MI familiar with
the great cities OF Europe. either by
actual observation or through tho col.
umns of current literature; but less Is
known. perhaps. about tho great cities
OF Asia, and It Is about the city OF
Toxic. tho capital of Japan. that l
wish to write to-day. II Is larger than
any city on tho American continent.
With tho exception of Now York. 1t
contains fully 1850. 600 people and cx-
tends over IN area nine miles long by
eight broad. 1t is city Of immense
distances. For instance. to 60 from
the station rs you come in from Yoko-
hama 10 the station You leave to go
into the country you cross q distance
of six miles. or about twice rs far rs
from the Battery TO the Central Depot
in New York. The city is curiously
laid out. In The very center is large
round tract of land containing thc
ca site and some other public build
ings. This is surrounded by u moat.
or rather canal, which is in tho form
of spiral. 1t goes around tho castle
two and qu artcr times. Within tho
second ring arc the houses of many OF
tho noblcmon and some more OF tho
public buildings. Outside of all is
is tho city proper, which is inlcrsccled
in I'LL directions by canals. Never was
there seen n city in which it was easier
10 lose ones self in Toxic. This
spiral canal and the many heavy stone
walls and frequent turnings make ono
lose his bearings oven OH sunny day.
The history of Toxic has been called a
history of fires. plaques and Garth
quakcs. Perhaps no one city can COM
pare with this in the number OF its
disastrous accidents. In 1000 1T was
nothing Lu. little fishing village. but
il was ut that time made tho capital Of
this section, and from that time It's
growth was extremely rapid. rs can DO
gathered from the fact that
in 1867 n great fire, called tho fire OF
Mel R'ki. destroyed l07.04G people
and swept away 800 mansions of the
first nobility. 40 of other mobiles. $50
temples, and 100 streets; again in
1878. only eleven years later. almost
the whole city was burned. In 1908
an earthquake carried away $1,000
people. In 1913 pcstilencc laid its
hand on the city and took the almost
uncomfortable number of 100. 900 souls.
In 1856 80. 900 buildings were destroyed
by earthquake and 100 600 people per-
ishcd. These are only the greater
calamitics that have bcfallcn this city.
and it is terrible record.
1t was In 1873 that tho Mikado made
tho change of his residence from Kioto
this city: Sinoo that time the TWO
hard to believe that they DOi0n =
the same nation. Kioto Is old Japau,
Toxic Is newJapan. Through tho cens
ter of Toxic runs long street. her
broadway" and on either side arc
fine buildings in the European style
of architecture. Every thing tina: n
foreigner would wish to use in furnish-
ing house or rcplonishing his ward
robe can be found on this street. AL
the signs are in English. although
often accompanied by tho native
language. a thorough system OF
paving, sewerage. illumination and
horsc-car transportation make Toxic
more European than some cities in
Europe. OF course l went through
tho bazars. and temples. and parks,
all of which were interesting. Ono
.curio" in tho museum is worth mcn-
tioning. 1t was stuffed specimen OF
n native domestic fowl, now almost
extinct. The popularity is its tail.
which by measurement is thirteen
English feet long. The body OF tho
bird is about the normal size. Cor
Ne,Uark Advertiser.